CEBU CITY, Philippines — Filipino boxer Melvin Jerusalem failed to retain his World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight title, suffering a unanimous decision defeat to Siyakholwa Kuse in their rematch at the Emperor’s Palace in South Africa on Saturday, May 16 (early Sunday morning in the Philippines).
With the loss, the Philippines is now left with only one reigning world boxing champion in the same weight division — Pedro Taduran who is the International Boxing Federation (IBF) world minimumweight titlist.
Jerusalem, who previously defeated Kuse via unanimous decision during the “Thrilla in Manila 2” card last October at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, was unable to replicate the same sharp performance that earned him victory in their first encounter.
READ: ‘No complacency; Jerusalem must dominate Kuse rematch’
All three judges scored the bout in favor of Kuse in the rematch. The scores were 115-112, 116-112, and 116-111.
Jerusalem absorbed his fourth defeat with 25 wins and 12 knockouts, while Kuse got his revenge, improving to a 10-3-1 (win-loss-draw) with four knockouts.
Early head clash, cut
The fight immediately erupted into a fast-paced exchange, but Jerusalem encountered trouble early after suffering a cut above his eye in the second round following an accidental clash of heads.
Kuse capitalized on the injury for the rest of the bout, repeatedly targeting the cut and causing heavy bleeding that affected Jerusalem’s vision inside the ring.
Still, the native of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, who is now based in Cebu, refused to back down.
READ: Jerusalem flies to South Africa for perilous world title defense
In the 11th round, Jerusalem managed to drop Kuse with a perfectly timed counter right hand. However, the South African quickly recovered and continued fighting aggressively to secure the WBC minimumweight crown.
As a result, Jerusalem heads home without the title he once proudly carried.
Unfulfilled prediction, rematch uncertain
A few days before the fight, Jerusalem’s trainer, Michael Domingo, spoke confidently during an online interview, expressing strong belief that Jerusalem would win the rematch. Domingo even dismissed concerns about the possibility of a hometown decision since the judges at ringside where from neutral countries, and one of them was even a Filipino.
His confidence stemmed from the hospitality shown by the promoters, which he said was a stark contrast to the negative experiences some fighters had previously encountered in South Africa.
Aside from that, Jerusalem entered the fight in excellent condition, and his camp believed they had prepared thoroughly for Kuse’s fighting style.
For Jerusalem, his dreams of a title unification bout or a rematch against Puerto Rican champion Oscar Collazo will now have to be put on hold.
Before those opportunities can materialize, Jerusalem must first work his way back into contention and reclaim world champion status. At this point, however, that road will not be easy.
What remains unclear for now is whether a rematch clause exists in the contract between Jerusalem and Kuse.
Such provisions are common in world title fights, especially in voluntary title defenses, where reigning champions often secure rematch clauses in case they lose their belts.
If such a clause is indeed included, boxing fans could very well witness a trilogy bout between Jerusalem and Kuse in the near future. Only time will tell.
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